1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device and equipment for changing a catheter, preferably of the type used for drainage of the urinary tract.
2. Description of the Related Art
Urinary catheters are used as an aid in emptying the urinary bladder in conditions where this cannot be done in the normal manner.
The causes of an accumulation of urine in the bladder, urinary retention, are many. Without manual emptying of the bladder, the condition will result in an accumulation of urine towards the kidneys and ultimately kidney failure. Many men with this condition have a catheter permanently inserted. Depending on the type of urinary catheter used, such catheter must be changed from every third week to every third month.
Women may also have a permanent catheter inserted. In particular, women with bladder paresis, for example in connection with MS (i.e., multiple sclerosis), may use a permanent catheter via the urethra, or a so-called suprapubic catheter. Such catheters must also be changed every two to three months, and are today changed in a hospital.
As an illustration of the prior art, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,239 and European Patent Application No. 0 564 894 A1, and US Patent Publication No. 2003/0158565 of Gardeski, et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 7,029,460, issued Apr. 18, 2006.
Today's catheters are changed by withdrawing the indwelling catheter and inserting a new one. For a number of patients the actual procedure of inserting a new catheter through the urinary tract can be difficult, and in some cases, the patient must go to a hospital to have a new urinary catheter installed. Normally, such catheters can easily be inserted by, for example, a district or visiting nurse. It is desirable that the visiting nurse or other caregivers should be able to change the catheter at the patient's home. To have such procedures performed in a hospital is resource-consuming and troublesome for the patient. Often the patients are older men who need transport by ambulance and admission to the hospital, which means that the changing of catheters is a costly process.
There is therefore a great need to develop new aids which make it easier, safer and less uncomfortable for the patient to change urinary catheters. The present invention provides such new aids which facilitate the insertion of a new catheter. The changing procedure thus becomes safer and less uncomfortable for the patient and can be performed in the home by skilled care personnel.